DIY Postbac (create your own!)
There may be a few reasons why you are looking into post-bac or post-bacc (post-baccalaureate) program, one of the reasons could be that you just calculated how much your GPA needs to be raised before the application cycle (check out the GPA blog for this), which is great!
There are multiple options for creating a plan that best fits you in demonstrating your academic strength. One thing that should be very clear, is that you want to show that you can EXCEL in these courses. There are programs from colleges that allow you to take heavy load of science courses and either get a certificate or a “special master’s degree” (more on this in the upcoming post!), but unfortunately these can be very expensive.
Who can benefit from these courses?
Basically anyone with a borderline or low GPA or anyone switching career paths with minimal to no prerequisites completed. Whether you are a nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, medical or any other health profession student.
How do you determine which courses to take?
Are there any “highly recommended” courses that you have not taken yet? You can tailor this list based on schools of your choice or visit my previous post about pre-requisite courses. (check out the pre-requisite blog post!)
Do you have at least 5-10 science courses? Do you have upper division science courses?
Are there any Cs, Ds or Fs that you need to retake? Some programs may require a minimum of B for prerequisite courses, which means you may have to repeat the B- as well.
What courses can you take in addition to the previous two points mentioned above to show that you are academically prepared for the rigors of PA school or medical school if that’s your journey.
CASPA (centralized system for PA school applications) has a list of science courses that would be counted towards your science GPA, if you are following another health profession path, be sure to check for your particular line of study. It is definitely a good idea to check the CASPA list and take courses from there, not only will your science GPA will go up, but you can also show that you are ready for the science course-load. Ideally, the admission’s committee would love to see a full time student excelling in a 3-5 science course semester load because it best mimics what the student will be handling as a graduate student.
What platforms should you choose to take these courses?
This is a personal preference, whatever is convenient for you! It used to be thought that community college courses are not considered as rigorous, but I have not heard that from anyone in the recent years, especially because of multiple online/hybrid places that now offer science courses. The places mentioned in the picture is just a few that I have come across, but there are many out there!
How much time do you have to finish the course? Do you have a deadline to meet? Some of the extension, online platforms like Doane, Portage, SCUHS, UNE offer self paced courses that one can finish in as little as 2 weeks-1 month. If you have more time, then CCs would not be a bad option as financially you’re comparing $$ to $$$$.
Do your schools that you’re applying to accept the platform that you plan on taking the course at? Do they accept fully online or hybrid format?
How much is the cost? Can you afford it in addition to the application, transportation for interviews cost?
Do you have any schedule restrictions, such as evening classes only due to job etc.?
What is more convenient and realistic form to learn?
How many units does my course need to be? (ex: Biology could be 3 units or 4 units; more units = more $)
Personally, I believe local community colleges would be a good place to start! Check out what courses they offer and apply for a fee waiver where your cost could be $0-lab fees only; in California it is now called California College Promise Grant (used to be known as BOG fee waiver). Cons of CC courses would only be the length of semester long.
No matter what route you choose, be realistic about your schedule and expectations. The last thing you want to do is do poorly in a course that you’re taking to show that you can excel academically. Plan ahead and map out your year wisely so you’re not crunching in courses 1 month before applications (i.e. don’t be me!)
